Material handling apparatus



Jan. 22, 1935.

J. J. NEUMAN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Feb; 23, 1933 2'Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- aco J- flamam ORN EY- lava/ a M ATT Jan. 22,1935. J. J. NEUMAN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 2 sneeti-sneet 2 FiledFeb. 23, 1933 Q mm m mflm UK Patented Jan. 22, 1935 QUNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE I 1,988,855 MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Jacob J. Neuman,Jamaica, N. Y. Application February 23, msaseriai No. 658,069

7 Claims. (01. 104-153) This invention relates to material handlingapparatus, and in part is a continuation of my pending application forpatent Serial Number 558,689, filed August 22, 1931.

It is the primary object and purpose of the present invention to providea relatively simple apparatus whereby commodities, such as raw sugar,may be expeditiously handled at the dock or pier for the purpose offirst weighing the same, and then transporting the weighed bags orpackages to a conveyer, storage elevator or other relatively remotepoint so that the manual labor heretofore incident to the handling ofsuch materials may be reduced to a minimum.

To the above end, it is one of the important objects of the invention toprovide traveling hoists suitably mounted on a pier or dock each havingmeans for raising and lowering a plurality of bags of sugar or othermaterial, and means for automatically controlling the travel of thehoists and the operation thereof whereby the load of each hoist is firstpositioned upon the weighing scale, and after being weighed, is thentransported to a position above a conveyer and the load dischargedthereon.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for connectingthe load hoist with a trolley frame mounted on a monorail wherebyexcessive strain upon the hoist and the monorail when the load is pickedup from a position at one side of the latter is obviated.

It is also an object of my invention to provide automatically actingmeans for controlling the travel of the hoist trolleys so as to preventcollision between the same when one trolley is stationary at theweighing station.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide means fortransporting the bags of sugar or other material from the unloadingstation embodying high and low speed conveyers arranged in alignment,said low speed conveyer receiving the bags thereon in superimposedrelation, and means interposed between said con; veyers for effectingthe separation of the bags and their single delivery in succession fromthe low speed to the high speed conveyer, from which the contents of thebags are adapted to be discharged into a receiving hopper or bin.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved material handling apparatus, and in the form, construction andrelative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andsubsequently incorporated in the claims.

subjolned In the drawings wherein I have illustrated one simple andpractical embodiment of my present improvements, and in which similarref- 5 erence characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure l is a plan view illustrating one installation of my presentinvention and showing the same arranged upon a pier or dock for handlingthe bags of material as they are unloaded from the hold of the vessel;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale showing one of the baghoists and its trolley with the control means therefor;

Fig. 3 is vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig.1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and for the present moreparticularly to Fig.

20 1 thereof,

for the purpose of illustrating one application and use of my presentinvention, I have shown a continuous monorail track 5, preferably thoughnot necessarily, having a cross sectional I-beam form which is suitablysupported upon the water front dock at which the cargoes of vessels areto be unloaded. A number of electrically controlled hoists generallyindicated at 6 are mounted in suspended. relation from the continuousmonorail 5 for longitudinal traveling movement. Preferably, each hoistatthe top thereof, is suspended from the rod or trunnion 7 mounted in thetrolley frame 8, so that said hoist has transverse swinging movementrelative to said trolley The elongated frame 8 is in turn susframe.pended from the monorail 5 by the front and rear trolleys 9 and 10respectively, the former being power-driven by a reversible electricmotor indicated at 11.

The hoist 6 is also operated by a reversible electric motor 12 movableas a unit with said hoist with respect to the trolley frame 8. The hoistincludes the cable sheave 13 raised and lowered in the operation of themotor 12 and which is provided with the hook 14 to which the loadreceiving sling 15 is adapted to be connected.

from the housing of the hoist 6.

The arm 19 at the opposite side of the frame 55 17 is movable in avertically disposed guide 22 suitably attached to the hoist and isprovided at its upper end with a bracket 23, on which a verticallyadjustable bolt or stud 24 is mounted. This stud is adapted to actuate aswitch 25 and break the hoisting circuit of the motor 12 toautomatically limit the upward movement of the load. A coil spring 26attached to the bracket 23 and to a bracket 27 on the lower end of guide22 moves the frame 17 downwardly to its normal position and therebyurges rollers 28 on the lower end of said frame under pressure againstthe upper bags B carried by the sling 15 to thus stabilize the load andprevent swinging or swaying motion thereof relative to the hoist.

' In addition to the trolleys 9 and 10, a trailer trolley 28 is spaced ashort distance rearwardly from the frame 8 and is connected therewith bya chain or other flexible element indicated at 29. This trolley 28 atits rear side carries an arm or projection 30 with which a switchoperating button 31 on the forward end of the following trolley frame 8is adapted to engage to operate the switch and break the travel motorcircuit for the latter trolley frame. Any slight forward motion of saidtrolley after its motor circuit is broken will result in the forwardmotion of the trailer trolley 28 of the advance trolley frame 8, andthus produce slack in the chain connection 29. This relative movementbetween frame 8 and the trolley 28 is essential, since it is notpossible to bring the trolley to an instant stop upon the breaking ofits motor travel circuit. Chain 29 is normally kept taut by theprovision of a leaf spring member 32 having frictional bearingengagement upon the wheels of the trailer trolley 28 which results in abraking action and causes said trolley to drag behind the main trolley.Complete control of travel motor 11 and hoist motor 12 is attainedthrough switch units at the lower ends of the sheathed conductorsindicated at 33 and 34, depending from the trailer trolley 28, saidcurrent conductors being connected with the motors through theconnection indicated at 35 extend ing between the main trolley frame 8and the trailer trolley 28. The switch unit for the control of motor 11has a manually operable arm indicated at 36 which when moved in onedirection from a neutral position closes the motor circuit for forwardtravel, and when moved in the opposite direction, closes the motorcircuit for rearward travel of the trolley. This switch arm or leverwill remain set in the forward position but preferably is returned bymeans of a suitable spring upon release from the reverse to the neutralposition. v

The switch unit for the control of the hoist motor 12 includes anup-button 37 closing the motor circuit in one direction to hoist theload; a down-button 38 to close the motor circuit in the reversedirection and lower the load and a stop button 39. However, in additionto these control switches, I provide certain automatically operatinglimit switches for controlling the motor circuits independently of saidmanually operable switches as will be presently described.

At a suitable point upon the dock beneath one side of the monorail 5,the Government and merchant scales generally indicated at S upon whichthe bags of sugar are to be weighed, are

. suitably positioned. At a proper point so as to stop thetravelinghoist and its load above the scales S, a solenoid 40 is mountedat one side of the monorail 5 and operates when energized to lift a shoe41 on the lower end of the solenoid core 42. This shoe when in its loweror normal position is adapted to actuate a normally closed switch 43carried by the trolley frame 8 to open the circuit of motor 11 and thusstop further travel of the hoist. A similar switch actuating shoe isalso mounted at. a suitable point in advance of the scales S and isactuated to switch releasing position by the solenoid indicated at 44.The solenoid 44 being in advance of the solenoid 40 prevents a secondtrolley from bumping another trolley which is at the unloading station.The circuits of these solenoids 40 and 44 may be closed by the operationof a common push button or other type of switch arranged at the ofliceor house of the scale attendant.

There is also fixed to one side of the monorail 5, a shoe 45 whichoperates a normally open switch 46 on the trolley frame 8 to close thelowering circuit of the hoist motor 12, when the hoist arrives at theunloading position. The switch 46 is in the circuit of the switch 39 andprovides a safety means to prevent operation of the motor 12 until thetrolley arrives at the unloading station. In suitably spaced relationfrom the shoe 45, a lever 47 is fulcrumed in spaced relation to one ofits ends as at 48 at the top of monorail 5, and has suspended from saidend thereof a shoe 49 which engages the movable element of switch 43 andopens said switch to break the circuit of motor 11, thus bringing thetrolley to a stop. This lever 4'! provides an alternative means which ismanually operable for stopping the trolley.

When the trolley is automatically stopped above the weighing scales bythe operation of switch 43 by the shoe 41, the button 38 of the manuallycontrolled switch unit for motor 12 is then pressed so as to operatesaid motor and lower the load carried in sling 15 to the scale platform.The lowering movement is stopped by breaking the motor circuit byactuation of push button 39 or an automatically acting limit switch maybe provided in the motor circuit for this purpose. After weighing, thebutton 37 is pressed so as to again raise the load into contact withframe 17 whereby switch 25 is operated in the manner above explained toautomatically break the motor circuit. The scale attendant then pressesthe button to energize the solenoids 40 and 44, thus lifting the shoe 41and permitting switch 43 to return to normally closed positions so thatthe travel motor 11 is energized. Thus the hoist with the weighed sugarbags progresses towards the unloading station and the succeeding hoisttakes its place above the scale platform.

The switch 43 is connected to the motor 11 by means of a. conductor 43a,shown diagram-- matically in Fig. 2. One side of the switch 43 isconnected to the motor 11 by the conductor 43a, and the other side ofthe switch 43 is connected to a source of current supply by a conductor43b. A conductor 11a is connected to the motor 11 at one end, and at itsother end is connected to a source of current supply. The switch 46 isconnected by a conductor 46a to one side of the motor 12, and aconductor 46b conductor 12a connects the motor 12 to a source of currentsupply associated with the switch 25.

As herein shown, there is arranged below one end of the rectangulartrack or monorail 5, the

end of a low speed load receiving conveyer 50 driven by the motor 51,said conveyer at one of its ends having its upper stretch disposed in anobliquely inclined plane as at 53 by engaging the same around thevertically and laterally spaced sprockets 52. Arranged below andsubstantially in alignment with this inclined section 53 of the conveyer50, is a guide chute 54 which guides and directs the sugar bags B uponthe upper stretch of the high speed conveyer 55 preferably arranged inlongitudinal alignment with the conveyer 50 and driven by a separatemotor 56. The sugar bags or the contents thereof may be delivered fromconveyer 55 in any suitable manner into the receiving hopper or binindicated at 57.

When the hoists arrive above the end of the conveyer 50, switches 43 and46 are actuated in the manner above explained so as to stop the travelof the hoist trolley and close the lowering circuit of hoist motor 12,thereby lowering the load of sugar bags upon the end of conveyer 50,where an operator is stationed to release said bags from the sling 15.Upon lifting the shoe 49 by means of operating element 47 connected tolever 47, the switch 43 will return to closed position to close thecircuit of motor 11 and continue the travel of the hoist. The sugar bagsare thus received upon this conveyer 50 without regard to distributionthereof and in superimposed relation. When the bags reach the inclinedsection 53 of conveyer 50, the upper bags fall downwardly thereon overthe lower bags which are in direct contact with the conveyer and areguided by the chute section 54 to the high speed conveyer 55. Therefore,owing to the relatively high speed of travel of the latter conveyer, thebags will be received upon the latter from conveyer 50 in a more or lessseparated relation. This is of course absolutely necessary where theindividual bags are opened to deliver the contents thereof into the binor hopper 57 in the manner explained in my copending applicationheretofore referred to.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction, manner ofoperation and several advantages of my invention as herein disclosedwill be clearly and fully understood. It will be seen that I haveprovided a simple and reliably operating apparatus whereby such heavybags of sugar or other material may be expeditiously handled, weighedand transported to a predetermined destination. The automatic controlmeans herein referred to enables the several operations to be carriedout with absolute safety, both to the apparatus and to the necessaryattendants in charge thereof, and enables the manual labor which hasheretofore been incident to the handling of such materials to be reducedto a minimum. Since the means which I provide for preventing swingingmovement of the load during the travel of the hoist is highly effectivefor this purpose,'the weighing and conveyance of the load is greatlyfacilitated and the apparatus relieved of excessive strains, whilepossible accidental release of the load from the-hoist is obviated.

In the foregoing description of the accompanying drawings, I havedisclosed one embodiment of the essential features of my presentinvention,

which I believeto be entirely practical for the purpose in view. It isnevertheless to be understood that my invention might also beincorporated in various other alternative structural forms, and Iaccordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimatechanges in the form, construction and relative arrangement of theseveral parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a supporting track, a plurality of trolleyframes, front and rear trolleys supporting each frame from the track, anoperating motor for driving each trolley frame along the track, switchmeans for independently controlling the motor circuits of the severaltrolley motors, each including a normally closed switch on said frame inthe circuit of the respective trolley motors, vertically movable switchoperating shoes longitudinally spaced apart along said track and intheir normal positions actuating said switches on adjacent trolleyframes to open the respective trolley motor circuits, and meansassociated with the respective shoes to simultaneously lift the samefrom their normal positions and permit the return of said switches tocircuit closing position.

2. In combination with a supporting track, a trolley frame, front andrear trolleys supporting said frame from the track, a drive motor forone of said trolleys, a trailer trolley on said track movably connectedto the rear end of said frame, an impact operated switch on the frontend of said trolley frame actuated to break the trolley motor circuit byimpact with the trailer trolley connected with another trolley frame onsaid track, and means for creating a constant drag on the trailertrolley whereby to maintain the same in spaced relation to the trolleyframe.

3. In combination with a suporting track, a trolley frame mounted fortravel on said track, an operating motor for the trolley frame, anormally closed switch on the trolley frame in the circuit of saidmotor, a switch operating shoe movably mounted in the track and normallypositioned to actuate said switch and open the trolley motor circuit,and electro-magnetic means associated with said shoe adapted tobeenergized to displace the shoe from its normal position and permit thereturn of the motor switch to circuit closing position.

4. In combination with a supporting track,

trolley frames mounted to travel thereon, an

operating motor for each trolley frame, a normally closed switch on eachframe in the circuit of the trolley motor, movable switch operatingmembers longitudinally spaced apart along said track and occupyingnormal positions to actuate the switches on adjacent trolley frames toopen the respective trolley motor circuits, and manually energizableelectromagnetic means associated with each of said movable members todisplace the same from their normal positions and permit the return ofsaid switches to circuit closing positions.

5. In combination, a supporting track, a trolley frame mounted to travelthereon, a motor for driving the trolley on said track, circuitconnections for the motor including a normally closed switch carried bythe trolley frame for maintaining the running circuit of the motorenergized, a movable abutment positioned adjacent to said track andnormally in the path of movement of said trolley-carried switch tocontact the same and to operate the switch to open position, causingstopping of the trolley frame with the switch in contact with saidabutment, and manually controlled means to move the abutment out ofcontact with said swich when it-is desired to close the motor circuit tofurther move the trolley along the track.

6. In combination, a supporting track, a plurality of trolley framesmounted for travel thereon, each of said trolley frames being providedwith a motor for driving the respective trolley frames, circuitconnections for each of said motors including normally closed switchescarried by the trolley frames, including at least one switch arranged ineach motor circuit for maintaining said circuits energized, a pluralityof movable, spaced abutments positioned along said track and normally inthe path of movement of said switch carried by the trolley frames,whereby to engage the same during travel of the frames on the track tooperate the said switches successively to opened position to therebystop the trolley frames, and means for moving the abutments out ofvcontacting relationship with said switches to cause closing thereof andsubse- -quent travel of the frame, said abutments being movable togetherto and from operative positions whereby to maintain the track betweensaid abutments free of trolleys.

7. In combination, a supporting track, a plurality of trolley framesmounted for travel thereon, each of said trolley frames being providedwith a motor for driving the respective trolley frames, circuitconnections for each of said motors including normally closed switchescarried by the trolley frames, including at least one switch arranged ineach motor circuit for maintaining said circuits energized, a pluralityof movable, spaced abutments positioned along said track and normally inthe path of movement of said switch carried by the trolley frames,whereby to engage the same during travel of the frames on the track tooperate the said switches successively to opened position to therebystop the trolley frames, and means for moving the abutments out ofcontacting relationship with said switches to cause closing thereof andsubsequent travel of the frame, said abutments being movable together toand from operative positions whereby to maintain the track between saidabutments free of trolleys, said trolley frames each carrying a secondnormally closed switch disposed to be opened by impact with a trolley inadvance thereof, whereby to prevent crowding of the frames on the trackin front of the first of said abutments.

JACOB J. NEUMAN.

